Samseongdang House, Yeongam

A typical wealthy farmer's house of Jeollanam-do from the late Joseon period, it appears to have been built in the late 19th century and is presumed to have been renovated in the mid-20th century. The ridge-beam inscription in the gate quarters records the date of raising the ridge beam, indicating the building was erected in 1848; however, the main house (anchae) and men's quarters (sarangchae) are presumed to have been built earlier than the gate quarters. The main house, men's quarters, gate quarters and a storage building are arranged on the four sides, creating a small but well-organised space. Unlike the ㅁ-shaped houses of Andong, here four separate, independent buildings together form a square layout. Passing through the gate at the southern end of the gate quarters, one faces, across the inner courtyard, the single-row men's quarters; at a right angle to the men's quarters, to the south, stands the storage building, and facing it, the main house sits facing south. Placing the gate quarters at a right angle to the main house, with the gate set in the southernmost bay farthest from the main house, was meant to prevent outsiders entering the house from seeing directly into the main house, the women's domain; placing the men's quarters facing the gate quarters likewise let the men living there see immediately who was coming and going. The main house is a modest single-row building with, from west to east, a kitchen, a large room, a wooden-floored hall (daecheong) and a small room; except at the kitchen, a narrow veranda runs along the front. Behind the small room is a firebox, and steps were built in front of both the main room and the kitchen. The men's quarters have, from the south, a lower room, and behind it a kitchen with an attached room, followed by a lower sarang room, an upper sarang room and a wooden-floored room in that order; the last of these was used as a storeroom. The gate quarters consist, from the left, of the gate passage, a gatekeeper's room and a wooden-floored hall; having a hall in the gate quarters is unusual for a commoner's house. The storage building has a storeroom on one side and a toilet on the other, with the storage space itself at the centre. The trees growing in the rear garden and surroundings create a cool, airy atmosphere, and the soy-sauce jar terrace behind the kitchen, set just in front of a bamboo grove, gives a sense of freshness. As a typical wealthy farmer's house of Jeollanam-do from the late Joseon period, it is of high value as folklore material. Please note that while this heritage site is generally open to visitors, access may be restricted due to the personal circumstances of the owner.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeongam, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산